Pogleswoody":2ume9zs3 said:
So the new owner's idea of 'building up infrastructure' is to lose the Manager who has just won you a league? Think these guys think a football club can be run like a supermarket chain?
Really hope Pompey (esp fans) don't suffer over this but how many straws does a drowning man grasp before he decides that what he really needs is a lifeboat or a helicopter?? :think:
In an ideal world Wigan wouldn't have been looking for a manager. Cook had a year left on his contract and Wigan offered him three years at, reportedly, more than double what he was earning with us at the start of this season. We offered improved terms for the same duration but couldn't get close to what Wigan offered. As Wigan satisfied the compensation requirement for the remaining year on Cook's contract he was always going to go.
We also don't have a new owner yet - due diligence is ongoing and the club is continuing to be run on the same budget as it would have been for next season, at this stage. Regardless, according to our CEO there won't be any increase to operational budgets under the new owners - but they will be investing in development squad/academy as well as sorting out H&S issues at our creaking old stadium; this tallies with what Eisner said when he 'pitched' to the fans ahead of the vote on the change of ownership. Personally, I'm comfortable with this - as I'm sure many Pompey fans are having, been bitten before by owners who overstretched.
I'm not spitting feathers like some of our support - as it's clear that money talks in football. Whilst losing a successful manager is not an ideal situation by any stretch - I'm comfortable with the rumours about Cook's replacement at this stage - it's not like when Redknapp was replaced with Tony Adams and it became clear how much trouble we were in ;-)